A wild ride in store for SMA 2009
CLEVELAND, March 12 — BLET members planning to attend the upcoming Southeastern Meeting Association (SMA) regional meeting in Gatlinburg, Tenn., are in store for a fun ride.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen hosts four regional meetings in different parts of the country every year, each offering unique entertainment opportunities. The SMA is unique in that it offers members the chance to participate in a motorcycle tour, and the 2009 meeting in Gatlinburg will be no exception.
Arrangements Chairman John Mason, Local Chairman of Division 237 (Knoxville, Tenn.), and the members of his planning committee are announcing plans for a motorcycle tour during the June 7-11 convention.
Route planning is in the works and about a dozen Harley Davidson motorcycles will be available for rent on a first come, first served basis. For more details on route information and rental pricing, please contact Sean Hickey at Knoxville Harley Davidson, (865) 671-2454.
If you’re not a motorcycle enthusiast but still enjoy a wild ride, the famous Dollywood theme park and Splash Country offers coasters and other thrill rides in nearby Pigeon Forge, Tenn. A free trolley service runs between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge every 30 minutes all day long.
Slated for June 7-11, 2009, guests will stay at the Park Vista Hotel & Conference Center, a destination in itself with rooms offering 360-degree views of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Registration is now open for the 2009 SMA, and registration forms are available for download from the BLET website at:
http://www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/SMA2009.pdf
Reservations can be made by calling the hotel — which is located at 705 Cherokee Orchard Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738 — at (865) 436-9211. More information about the hotel is also available online at www.parkvista.com. Room rates are $103 per night. Deadline for room reservations is May 1 — after that, rooms may not be available, or may be significantly more expensive than $103 per night.
Additional leisure time activities include the annual golf tournament, Ripley’s Aquarium, a hay ride through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, banquet, and a barbeque with live blue grass music.
“My committee and I want to welcome you and ask for your participation in this year’s SMA,” said Brother Mason, who is organizing the convention with the help of his wife Lori and the members of BLET Division 239. “Gatlinburg is a great family destination and we intend to put on a fun and informative event. We hope you will join us June 7-11.”
Educational workshops will be offered to Secretary-Treasurers, Local Chairmen and Legislative Representatives. A Legal Fair will also be offered.
For more information, please contact Brother Mason at: (865) 523-2684; or email LNM67@comcast.net.
SMA registration forms are available here:
http://www.ble-t.org/pr/pdf/SMA2009.pdf
Thursday, March 12, 2009
bentley@ble.org
